COCONINO COUNTY — At their regular meeting on April 4, 2023, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a proclamation designating April 2023 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in Coconino County.
April 2023 is the 22nd year that Sexual Assault Awareness Month has been nationally recognized, but its history goes back to the fight against race- and gender-based violence of the mid-20th century. This social activism increased awareness for sexual assault and directed public focus toward supporting survivors. It also culminated in survivor-focused legislation like the Violence Against Women Act, passed in 1993.
“Sexual Assault Awareness Month … is intended to raise public awareness to the fact that sexual violence is widespread and has public health implications for every community,” the proclamation reads. “Coconino County encourages all community members to work together to promote education about sexual violence prevention, supporting survivors, and speaking out against harmful attitudes and actions.”
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) 1 in 4 non-Hispanic Black women (29%) in the United States were raped in their lifetime, more than 4 in 5 American Indian and Alaska Native Women (84%) have experienced violence in their lifetime, 1 in 3 Hispanic women (34.8%) reported unwanted sexual contact in their lifetime, 32.9% of adults with intellectual disabilities have experienced sexual violence and 47% of all transgender people have been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives.
“The numbers are just staggering and are the result of discrimination against women and minorities because of social exclusion and unequal access to services,” said Patrice Horstman, Chair of the Board. “It will take every single one of us, no matter our place in society, to speak out and do what we can to change this culture that has developed in our country and quite frankly, the world.”
The NSVRC designated the theme of the 2023 commemoration as “Drawing Connections: Prevention Demands Equity,” stating that “Systems of oppression such as racism, sexism, classism, heterosexism, ageism, ableism, and others contribute to higher rates of sexual harassment, assault and abuse … we recognize that it will take ending all forms of oppression to end sexual violence worldwide.”